Symbolic and nonsymbolic number comparison in children with and without dyscalculia

Mussolin, Christophe; Mejias, Sandrine; Noël, Marie-Pascale

doi:10.1016/j.cognition.2009.10.006

Cited by 257 publications

(227 citation statements)

References 84 publications

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“…In the number comparison task, DDs showed an abnormally large distance effect such that the time required to discriminate between stimuli numerically close was significantly longer relative to controls [DD vs. controls: Welch's t -test: t (5.63) = 3.50, p = 0.0174; MannWhitney-Wilcoxon test: W = 83, p < 0.002], consistent with some previous studies (e.g., Ashkenazi et al, 2009;Holloway & Ansari, 2008;Mussolin et al, 2010). In the numerosity discrimination task, DDs showed an abnormally large Weber Fraction relative to numerically-normal participants [Welch's t -test: t (5.87) = 3.67, p = 0.0145; or without assumptions on the sample distribution Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon results: W = 85, p < 0.001], which typically suggests impaired number processing (Mazzocco et al, 2011;Piazza et al, 2010).…”

Section: Dyscalculia Diagnosissupporting

confidence: 88%

Impaired Numerical Ability Affects Supra-Second Time Estimation

Gilaie-Dotan

Rees

Butterworth

et al. 2014

Timing Time Percept

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It has been suggested that the human ability to process number and time both rely on common magnitude mechanisms, yet for time this commonality has mainly been investigated in the sub-second rather than longer time ranges. Here we examined whether number processing is associated with timing in time ranges greater than a second. Specifically, we tested long duration estimation abilities in adults with a developmental impairment in numerical processing (dyscalculia), reasoning that any such timing impairment co-occurring with dyscalculia may be consistent with joint mechanisms for time estimation and number processing. Dyscalculics and age-matched controls were tested on supra-second temporal estimation (12 s), a difficulty-matched non-temporal control task, as well as mathematical abilities. Consistent with our hypothesis, dyscalculics were significantly impaired in supra-second duration estimation but not in the control task. Furthermore, supra-second timing ability positively correlated with mathematical proficiency. All participants reported that they used counting to estimate time, although no specific instructions were given with respect to counting. These results suggest that numerical processing and supra-second temporal estimation share common mechanisms. However, since this conclusion is also based on subjective observations, further work needs to be done to determine whether mathematical impairment co-occurs with supra-second time estimation impairment when counting is not involved in and is objectively controlled for during supra-second timing. We hypothesize that counting, that does not develop normally in dyscalculics, might underlie and adversely affect dyscalculics' supra-second time estimation performance, rather than an impairment of a magnitude mechanism or the internal clock pacemaker.

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Section: Dyscalculia Diagnosissupporting

confidence: 88%

Impaired Numerical Ability Affects Supra-Second Time Estimation

Gilaie-Dotan

Rees

Butterworth

et al. 2014

Timing Time Percept

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“…For non-symbolic comparison paradigms, the data are less conclusive. In line with the findings on symbolic comparison tasks, Mussolin et al (2010b) showed distance effects to correlate negatively with mathematical achievement in 10-to 11-years-old children.…”

Section: A C C E P T E D Accepted Manuscriptsupporting

confidence: 86%

An electrophysiological investigation of non-symbolic magnitude processing: Numerical distance effects in children with and without mathematical learning disabilities

Heine

Wißmann

Tamm

et al. 2013

Cortex

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IntroductionThe aim of the present study was to probe electrophysiological effects of nonsymbolic numerical processing in 20 children with mathematical learning disabilities (mean age = 99.2 months) compared to a group of 20 typically developing matched controls (mean age = 98.4 months). MethodsEEG data were obtained while children were tested with a standard non-symbolic numerical comparison paradigm that allowed us to investigate the effects of numerical distance manipulations for different set sizes, i.e. the classical subitizing, counting and estimation ranges. Effects of numerical distance manipulations on ERP amplitudes as well as activation patterns of underlying current sources were analyzed. ResultsIn typically developing children, the amplitudes of a late parietal positive-going ERP component showed systematic numerical distance effects that did not depend on set size. For the group of children with mathematical learning disabilities, ERP distance effects were found only for stimuli within the subitizing range. Current source density analysis of distancerelated group effects suggested that areas in right inferior parietal regions are involved in the generation of the parietal ERP amplitude differences. ConclusionOur results suggest that right inferior parietal regions are recruited differentially by controls compared to children with mathematical learning disabilities in response to non-symbolic numerical magnitude processing tasks, but only for stimuli with set sizes that exceed the subitizing range.

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“…Moreover, Landerl and colleagues [48] found that 8-to 10-year-old DD children were slower than controls in both symbolic and non-symbolic number comparisons. Mussolin, Mejias and Noel [49] found that 10 and 11-year old children with DD show a larger distance effect in both symbolic and nonsymbolic numerical comparisons, suggesting deficit in the ability to process numerical magnitudes.…”

Section: Developmental Dyscalculia and Ordinalitymentioning

confidence: 97%

Processing Ordinality and Quantity: The Case of Developmental Dyscalculia

Rubinsten¹

2011

PsycEXTRA Dataset

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In contrast to quantity processing, up to date, the nature of ordinality has received little attention from researchers despite the fact that both quantity and ordinality are embodied in numerical information. Here we ask if there are two separate core systems that lie at the foundations of numerical cognition: (1) the traditionally and well accepted numerical magnitude system but also (2) core system for representing ordinal information. We report two novel experiments of ordinal processing that explored the relation between ordinal and numerical information processing in typically developing adults and adults with developmental dyscalculia (DD). Participants made ''ordered'' or ''non-ordered'' judgments about 3 groups of dots (non-symbolic numerical stimuli; in Experiment 1) and 3 numbers (symbolic task: Experiment 2). In contrast to previous findings and arguments about quantity deficit in DD participants, when quantity and ordinality are dissociated (as in the current tasks), DD participants exhibited a normal ratio effect in the non-symbolic ordinal task. They did not show, however, the ordinality effect. Ordinality effect in DD appeared only when area and density were randomized, but only in the descending direction. In the symbolic task, the ordinality effect was modulated by ratio and direction in both groups. These findings suggest that there might be two separate cognitive representations of ordinal and quantity information and that linguistic knowledge may facilitate estimation of ordinal information.Citation: Rubinsten O, Sury D (2011) Processing Ordinality and Quantity: The Case of Developmental Dyscalculia. PLoS ONE 6(9): e24079.

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Symbolic and nonsymbolic number comparison in children with and without dyscalculia

Cited by 257 publications

References 84 publications

Impaired Numerical Ability Affects Supra-Second Time Estimation

Impaired Numerical Ability Affects Supra-Second Time Estimation

An electrophysiological investigation of non-symbolic magnitude processing: Numerical distance effects in children with and without mathematical learning disabilities

Processing Ordinality and Quantity: The Case of Developmental Dyscalculia

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